


Sparks in Hawaii

by MintStory



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Hawaii, School Trip, Sugimura makes a sexual threat over text, if not for that it would likely be Teen and up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 08:43:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20672519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintStory/pseuds/MintStory
Summary: Akira Kurusu has no plans for his last free time in Hawaii, and spending time with friends feels all too normal... So he meets up with a certain lonely auburn-haired girl instead. Fluff ensues.





	Sparks in Hawaii

In the event Futaba had texted him to mention something about their thief business back home, Akira Kurusu takes to the privacy of his Hawaii hotel room to check what the message he just got on his phone was about after Ryuji dragged Mishima into his—already doomed to fail—attempt to pick up girls on the beach. Whoever the sender was, he may just have to thank them for getting him out of what was a social conundrum for the ages.

Upon arrival, he reclines in the green couch of the room and checks to see who sent him the message. Not Futaba, not even a Phantom Thief for that matter, his Shogi master, Hifumi, had sent him a message. A sigh escapes, relieved and burdened. Partially thankful to not have to think about phantom thievery while overseas, partially moroseful that he has no idea how to spend the last free time on the island.

While still seated on the couch, he receives two different messages; one from the second-in-command of the Phantom Thieves, and the other from Ryuji. Makoto wants to see if he would like to take a walk on the shoreline, while Ryuji tries to coax him into joining his waste of energy on the beach.

None of it feels different, however.

The whole Hawaii trip has had this undertone of similarity. Many of the school activities were outright dismissed since the fit chaperones for the task had to miss the trip due to the school-wide scandal back home, his group ate at restaurants they could find back home, Mishima only cared to talk about the Phan-site, Ann and Ryuji argued all of the time. The whole trip feels less like experiencing a new country and more like staying in seaside Japan with palm trees and big parking lots.

It is not lost on him, however, that simply mulling over the unfortunate about the trip has done nothing to improve it. In recognizing that, he gets himself off of the couch with a push from his back and opens the sliding glass door to observe what he could do with the last of his time in Hawaii.

His eye catches hula dancers, a skateboarder, a family with toddlers that have equipment to build a sandcastle, and a gang of surfers. None of the activities in question particularly grab his interest, though surfing would have been his choice out of those four options. He makes another scan before something gathers his full attention.

That girl he met yesterday. Sitting in the same spot just looking at her phone.

He recalls the smile she gave him and how it all but spelled out distress. It reminded him of the smile Ann gave him on his first day at Shujin, or the smile Kawakami would give him while on maid duty. His instincts kicked in, moving him back inside to leave and find her. It was different, it was a chance to help someone, and if neither of those, it was at least better than hitting on “babes” with Ryuji.

For Haru Okumura, she too, had an uneventful time in Hawaii, which she lamented, even if she did expect it to be that way after signing up to be a chaperone and talking with all of the staff and their sit-ins. Had it not been for the awful message sent from Sugimura—the fiancée her father chose for her, she would have been fine with a boring trip; last year’s was more than enough for her, anyway. Instead however, all of the new free time bestowed upon her was spent worrying about the implications of the nasty message.

Though she never said it to anyone, the reason she accepted to go on the trip for a second time was to have a reason to avoid her dreaded partner. She did figure that it would be best to notify him about her trip, though. Just in case he got mad at her for not saying anything.

The response he gave her startled her for days to come.

She expected a reply akin to “have fun without me” or “why are you going” or perhaps an accusation of seeing other men in the way he liked to insinuate often. Rather than that, he took the opportunity to set up something he had wanted for a while.

| **Sugimura:** So you do like traveling, then ill set up that early honeymoon I talked about earlier

At one point, he mentioned an “early honeymoon” to her which she covered up with a fib to try and stifle that line of thought in his head. Said fib was about to come back to bite her then.

| **Haru: **I already told you I didn’t want that, though.

| **Sugimura:** No.

| **Sugimura:** You told me you didn’t like leaving the country but that was a lie wasn’t it?

| **Sugimura:** I suppose ill also have to show you that you DO want to learn how well I can treat you on the honeymoon

| **Sugimura: **Enjoy hawaii…

She had not responded to that one. She instead read and reread it many times over. Not that there was anything difficult to comprehend about it; it was clearly Sugimura’s way of getting her in bed where she had no outside aid to stop him. So that is what she relegated herself to doing now, using her free time staring at the message and desperately hoping the lettering would change somehow and that she would not have to worry for her chastity.

_ Okay. Breathe. Do I just give him the consent and get it over with? I don’t want him to raise his hand… Would he still hit me if I cried during it, though? Oh goodness. Okay… what if I didn’t say yes, would he risk getting sued by me and go for it anyway? Would Father quash the tria—?_

“Hello?”

Like a tether, a voice pulled her back down to reality, on a bench in Hawaii. She directed her gaze to the speaker. It was that cute boy with the loud friend that she met the day before.

“Hello again.” She greeted him. “May I help you?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask if you were doing anything.” His voice soft as he spoke. Soft enough to worry Haru as to if this boy learned who she was since they last saw one another. It had happened before that classmates tried to act like a suck-up to earn the favor of her father.

“N-no, not really. Why?” The words come out a bit rough as she adjusts herself to speak diplomatically.

“I saw you all alone from my hotel room and, I mean, I don’t have anyone to do things with myself.” That was a lie, but not that she needed to know. He tilts his head to the side and gives her a light smile, “Care to join me?”

Haru mentally pauses, contemplating what this boy could be scheming. She cannot tell if he is joking, trying to hit on her or if he is simply looking to talk business with her after learning about her background. She brings herself to the conclusion that almost anything is better than going back to imagining what Sugimura would do to her on that trip. Even if this cutie ultimately only wanted a connection to her father in some way.

“S-sure.” She stands up, “Do you have anywhere in mind?”

“Not quite. I just figured we’d do a bit of walking and see where that takes us.” He admits, recalling his want to simply experience Hawaii a bit. “Is that okay with you?”

She cannot bring herself to a worded response, so she simply gives him a nod and the closest thing to a smile she can muster after thinking of ways to avoid rape.

“I’m Akira Kurusu, by the way.” He mentally scolds himself for not introducing himself earlier.

“Oh! Then are you th—” She stopped herself, realizing that it may have sounded like she partook in gossip about the so-called “criminal transfer student.” Akira just laughs—louder than he should have—before giving a simple,

“Yeah. That’s me.”

The pit in her stomach drops upon hearing who she is talking with. “I’m… sorry everyone treats you that way.”

Akira is a little surprised at the apology for the rumors. The last non-Phantom Thief to have said anything about the rumors was Shiho Suzui. It felt like she was the one who most deserved an apology, if anything. All the same, he appreciated this girl’s concern, especially considering he only just met with her. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m used to it by now.”

She gives him a sharp exhale and a pout as a response, not entirely sure how she could respond to his statement. She briefly thinks about the kind of courage it must take to simply laugh off the dissent of an entire student body. With a small chuckle after seeing her pout, he drops the subject.

“And your name?”

“Haru Okumura…”

“Oh! Like Okumura Foods?” He asks.

“R-Right… My father is the CEO…” She says with a hint of caution. That was not the first time someone feigned not knowing who she was to appear unassuming. She braces for the inevitable. _Well, it was fun not having to talk about Father while it lasted…_

Akira stops momentarily, wondering how best to respond to her. The idea of asking about the business crosses his mind, but is shot down when he remembers how it felt when Mishima only cared to talk about the Phantom Thieves with him during down time. He knew Mishima only meant well, yet it felt insensitive, even rude to a degree. He decides that he cannot do that to her.

“Well, I’m sure that’s all you ever get to talk about back home, so we don’t need to talk about it.”

“Oh…!” Her eyes grow wide at the remark. It was her turn to be surprised. How strange to think that someone who knew exactly who she is carried neither the intention of talking about business nor using her in some way. It had been so long since she was not treated like a corporate stepping stone. _…And…did he just get cuter? Oh no._

“That aside, I guess we knew more about each other than we thought, huh?” Akira chuckles with a single-finger scratch at his chin.

With a brief turn away, Haru let out a giggle and smiled for the first time that day. Putting her arms behind her back and tucking one leg behind the other, she turns her head to give him a genuine smile, different from the one from yesterday. This one did not hold back negative emotions and had to be the cutest smile he had yet seen. He too, smiles after she comments bashfully, “I…guess we did, huh?”

After an exchange of eye contact that lasts longer than usual, Akira speaks up. “We uh…never did start walking.”

In part embarrassment for staring at him and in part being caught off guard, she looked away quickly before blurting out, “Ah! Um, I-I’m sorry!”

She hates the fact that it does not take much to get her to stutter. She knew she was decent at keeping a poker face if she had no reason to talk, yet the moment her mind crossed her mouth, it was all over. She could have sworn her stutter had costed her a good many social interactions. She started to worry that it might cost her this one, too.

“I enjoyed this, don’t worry.” Akira chuckles to himself after assuring her. “But, let’s start going.”

She happily obliged with a giggle she failed to stifle in time as they started walking. Akira is not one to strike conversation, usually, though, this girl captivated him somehow. He wanted to know more about her.

“So Okumura-san, tell me a bit about yourself.”

“Oh, um, p-please don’t call me that. It always feels like people are trying to talk to Father when they say that.” Too many sleazy businessmen only interested in making a quick buck had ruined ever hearing her family name with that honorific for her.

Something deep inside him wants to call her by her given name, yet, it feels wrong still. He still only just met her, after all. “My bad. Please tell me about yourself, Okumura.”

In truth, she had not wished to be called “Okumura” either, even if she knew it was just him being polite. Beyond that, she struggles to find an adequate answer for him. “W-Well, I don’t know what you’d want to know. I’m not very interesting, despite my name…”

“Oh nonsense,” he retorts. “Do you have a hobby?”

“Umm, well, I grow vegetables in my free time, but that’s not quite interesting…”

Akira chuckles to himself, knowing that what he is going to say next will likely make her lips form that cute genuine smile. “What if I told you I’m a country boy?”

Her face lights up as she quits walking to look into his eyes. “You mean…you like gardening, too?” The moment she saw him, she knew he was cute, but to think that he would share a common interest while being so kind, too. Her heart could hardly take it.

“I haven’t had much of a chance to do it in the city, but tending to crops is basically all I did back home.” She giggled to herself at his response.

“Do umm…you like the city, Kurusu-kun?” She tentatively asks, curious to know more about him. They resume walking.

“More or less. I miss the sense of community a little bit, but I like how easy it is to get around Tokyo.”

“That’s what I like about Tokyo, too! Though, I feel like I’d love to see how tight-knit the rural areas are, y’know?”

“Well, if you like plants and community, you already like the only two things out there.” They both lightly laugh at the statement. “Sounds like you’re a perfect fit.”

Haru takes her eyes off of the raven-haired boy to find something in front of them. “Oh! That street vendor… I heard good things about that one from my second-year trip.”

With a tilt of the head and a smile that mimics the one Akira gave her before, she inquires, “Shall we?”

“Let’s do it.” He affirms her.

The two walk up to the yellow food stand parked in the sand to be greeted by an unexpectedly officious owner.

“You two from Japan?”

“Umm… y-yes. From Tokyo.” Haru answered, feeling a bit encroached upon.

“How ‘bout those Phantom Thieves, huh?” The overbearing man half-yelled, half-spoke. “The guys that steal hearts! Heh heh!”

“Oh, r-right…” Her voice quivered, knowing she secretly wanted their help as of recent. “W-What about them…?”

“Heard about it on the news! They’re all the rage in Japan, yeah?”

“Y-You could say that… yes.”

“Say, if y’run into ‘em, tell ‘em I say hello.” The owner quips. “And ask ‘em to change people’s hearts so everyone loves shrimp! Huh hah!”

“Okay…sure.” She stumbles out.

Akira just stood there, still not happy having to hear even more about his group outside of the country. All he could do is suck it up and order. “On thaaaaaaat note, two helpings please.”

The owner laughs to himself—loud enough for the whole beach to hear—before going into the stand saying, “Tell ‘ya what, I’ll add some extra shrimp to your plates t’get on the theives’ good side, yeah?” He laughs at his own joke once more.

With a sigh, Akira acquiesces. “Right…thanks.”

After finding themselves a bench to sit down and eat at, Haru broke the silence with a sigh. “That guy was rather…friendly…wasn’t he?”

“No kidding.” Akira remarks, popping a shrimp into his mouth. He speaks after swallowing it. “Say, Okumura?”

She gives a small, “Hm?” to avoid talking with her mouth full.

“I’m…not being too friendly right now, am I?”

Her mind enters a small-scale panic as she scrambles for an answer. Of course the one person she wishes she could speak with all day is concerned he is speaking too much. Her mouth betrays her once again by letting out words before her mind is ready for a response. “N-no! Not at a-all Kurusu-kun! I-In fact, I um…” she tries to compose herself to find the right words to tell her new friend. “…y-you’ve been really nice a-and I think having…someone to talk to today has been nice.”

A nervous smile crept onto her face. Akira could not help but be a little confused at her response. He thought for certain he must have come on too strongly. Yet, here she was, vehemently denying the possibility of him being in the wrong. All while being a stuttering mess. Though, truthfully, he thought she was quite adorable when flustered. “Well, I’m glad.” He responds simply.

_ Not as glad as you’ve made me, Kurusu-kun._ The thought manifested itself in her head the moment the last word left his lips. She came close to saying it, but she caught herself before she could and continued tending to her plate of seafood.

Akira had finished his plate before she did hers, so he simply took to stealing glances at her when he could manage. A feeling within his gut told him he could get used to being around her more often. The way she would smile, her cute little giggles, how she carried herself, her lovely eyes that complemented those auburn locks that he thinks must feel amazing to run one’s hands through. All that was good in the world seems to have coalesced to form the gorgeous fluffy-haired girl beside him. Each passing second made him grow fonder it seemed.

Haru never does finish her plate, rather she gives up while the last dozen-or-so still lay on the plate. The extra helping did her in, it seems. Akira offers to take her plate to dispose of both of theirs, which she accepts with that smile he has come to love. She hands him the plate and turns to face forward in the bench, but turns around after to watch her new friend walk to a nearby garbage can. She ponders what spurred Akira into coming to see her. She never considered herself to be interesting or attractive since everyone who had insisted to her otherwise usually wanted some kind of special treatment from her father. Yet, today, she has felt both of those for the first time. She had never thought of herself as approachable or sociable either for reasons similar, but there he was, speaking with her like she was simply another coeval. Not to mention how cute she found him. When he turns around from throwing away the plates, she faces forward again and imagines how nice of a feeling it must be to plunge her hands into that disheveled mess of hair he has.

When he returns to the bench, unaware of Haru’s stolen glance at him, the sun is sinking into the Pacific Ocean. He joins her in gazing at the sight as she trails off, “How pretty…”

Akira gives her a nod while he holds back the urge to make a cliché move on her. His feelings stab at his heart while her presence gives him peace. He sits in a mix of serenity and agony.

“Kurusu-kun?” She calls out lightly and softly in a manner that makes him swear his heart is leaping in there.

“Yes?” He offers back, stifling how helplessly stricken he is.

“I…” Heat rushes to her cheek at a mile a minute. “…really enjoyed our time together today…”

He sighs contently with a smile that accelerates her heartbeat. “I did, too.”

She smiles back, “I don’t know why you decided to meet me today… but it made my day—my whole trip, even.”

Akira’s smile evanesced as another sigh escapes when he recalls his decision to greet her. “I…thought you looked a bit lonely. Something about the way you’d smile said you were carrying some emotional baggage.”

Haru’s smile faded briefly as she looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “That’s true… Things back home have become rather troublesome to be honest. That’s partially why I accepted to fill the role of a chaperone, but I ended up just using my free time worrying. So…” She beams a smile from the bottom of her heart as she sets both of her hands in between them on the bench. “…I really needed this. Thank you, Akira-kun.”

“You’re very welcome, Haru.” He beams back, letting his emotion take over his actions by gently placing his hands atop her own. His heart races. “When we get back to Japan, would you like to talk about it?”

“There’s no end to your kindness, is there Akira-kun?” She giggles to herself, his hands on hers seemingly giving her the ounce of bravery she needed to compliment him aloud. “I would like that.”

She gasps at a realization, “I have a small garden on the rooftop! We could talk up there a-and maybe you could help me pl—” Her sentence is cut off after she realizes she had been thinking out loud. “I-I mean… if I’m not asking too much…”

“Not at all, Haru.” His hands squeeze hers lightly.

Her smile somehow grows wider as she looks down at their joined hands, feeling her chest tighten up. They share a peaceful moment listening to the waves and the occasional rustling of the palm trees. The sun glistens and refracts light off of the ocean it sinks into. Warm light hovers over the sand, giving its last heat before the cool of the night envelops the island.

The amount of free time left for the students was inevitably waning, which they both knew. Contrary to what Akira came to expect, Haru never took the initiative to suggest they head back to the hotel. He had figured that between chaperone duties and her having suggested Ryuji, Yusuke and him yesterday to start to meet with the staff that she would have been the one to suggest heading back, but she seemed content just to gaze at the waves and maintain hand contact. Still, it was admittedly late, so Akira takes to informing her of the time.

“It’s getting a bit late, should we head back?”

“Oh my… you’re right…” She says, moving her hands out from under Akira’s and putting her right hand in her right pocket. “I got this just for fun, but… I want you to have it.”

She handed him a keychain with a wooden carving of the Hawaiian goddess Papahānaumoku. He thanked her for the gift with a smile. On the walk back to the lobby, Haru briefly explains the information she retained about the goddess to Akira and asks him to use it to remember the day they spent together. He happily obliges.

After an exchange of contact information to best coordinate meeting on the roof and an embrace, the two return to their respective rooms with perpetual smiles that last until their slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please let me know of spelling/grammar errors or recurring literary devices if you happen upon them.
> 
> Fun fact: Papahānaumoku is a Hawaiian goddess who represents fertility and is the mother of the earth. I figured that a charm of her likeness would reflect Haru's arcana quite nicely.


End file.
